PATRIOT PARK /Moscow Region/, August 15. /TASS/. China will continue to strengthen the security cooperation mechanism with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries and deepen defense collaboration with Iran and Belarus, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said.

"We will continue to strengthen the mechanism of security cooperation within the SCO, actively deepen defense collaboration with the organization's newest member Iran, as well as Belarus, which will soon become a SCO member," he said at the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security.

The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai. At first, the organization consisted of six countries - Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - and was joined in 2017 by India and Pakistan. It was announced at the summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State that was held virtually in India in July that Iran joined the group. Also, Belarus signed a memorandum of commitment, which set off the procedure for acquiring full membership in the organization.